Principle of trust
The principle of trust protects legitimate reliance on conduct, statements, or official assurances when the law requires consistent and fair dealing.
In Swiss law, the principle of trust operates in several contexts. In private law, declarations and contracts are often interpreted according to how a reasonable recipient could understand them in good faith. In public law, individuals may sometimes rely on clear official assurances if they acted on them and no overriding public interest requires a different result. The principle promotes legal certainty and fairness, but it does not protect careless reliance or expectations that conflict with mandatory law.